27 replies to this topic

[deth]

it was good in that it had some aspects not seen in a Bond before, like the indian stuff..........

...........but the rest...... the briefings were WAAAYYY too long..... unlike Scorpius, where they worked really well.



.........any thoughts on this book?

(I don't know whether to look forward to the infamous next book or not lol......)

[Tarl_Cabot]

I always pictured Steven Seagal as BC. He's certainly creepy enough.

[zencat]

Guess what, I really like Brokenclaw. I realize I'm painfully alone in this (even Gardner doesn't like this book), but it's one of my favorite Bond books! I love the locations, the villain, the Indian torture ordeal at the end...and the book almost has a "Fleming sweep" to it. At some point I was writing up a very pro Brokenclaw review for CBn...need to dig that out and finish it.

[deth]

did Gardner give a reason for not liking it?

[zencat]

It was a terrible time in his life. He was ill...and didn't he lose his wife around this time? (Maybe that happened later. ) Because of this, he didn't feel he was able to put his all into the book and has bad associations to writing it. But I think, ironically, Gardner

[deth]

that is true.... it feels quite dark..... enjoyable in that sense I suppose....

[zencat]

...sort of like Fleming's You Only Live Twice. Not as good, of course, but there's the same fatalistic sense that makes you wonder if, indeed, Bond is going to make it out of this one alive (which I think unconsciously comes from the author who at the moment of writing is wondering if he's going to be around to do another book.) It gives creates genuine tension that's frequently missing from non-Fleming Bond books.

[Genrewriter]

I'm a fan of the bok too, really interesting villain.

[Qwerty]

I've always enjoyed this one, not to the extent of some of his other work, but it certainly is, IMO, a very good one. The villain is what really caps this one off for me, and the last few chapters are excellent. I find the main plot though, with the markets, somewhat not flashed out enough in the book though.

[B007GLE]

I really enjoyed Brokenclaw and pictured Seagal as well.

I think the villain is one of Gardner's best (The two right hands are great.)

I remember some line in it about the plot to mess up the stiock markets where he says somethign like "the rumor was the Japanese wre working on somehting similar." I always felt that this referred to Tom Clancy's "Debt of Honor" which was in the works at the time and that Gardner was already bracing for an unfavorable comparison.

I put this one high up on my Gardner rankings.

[zencat]

Happy to see that I'm not as alone as I thought in liking this book.

[Qwerty]

Happy to see that I'm not as alone as I thought in liking this book.

It seems that there are always lot of us that while the general public regard to be lesser (BrokenClaw, the film Moonraker), but they're held in very high respect by many here.

[zencat]

I think the hardcore Bond fan is much more willing to see the good over the bad in all Bond films and books. I know I'm like that (maybe to a fault...but, hey, I'm a fan! That

[Qwerty]

[quote name='zencat' date='9 February 2004 - 16:30'] I think the hardcore Bond fan is much more willing to see the good over the bad in all Bond films and books. I know I'm like that (maybe to a fault...but, hey, I'm a fan! That

[SirMiles83]

I actually really like Brokenclaw. The villain was great, the henchman, and all sorts of other things so as to not spoil things for some. It was actually my first Bond novel. I read it when it first came out, when I didn't know there was a literary Bond.

[freemo]

I enjoyed Brokenclaw, most Gardner's just seems to blur into one another after awhile, but Brokenclaw is one one remembers well. Loved the title character, equal with the best of the Fleming villians in my opinion (Bond is drawn to getting a closer look at Brokenclaw before he even knows who he is). I also liked Bond's visit to Chinatown, that's something I wouldn't mind seeing in a future film. The one thing I didn't like about is how it seems M withholds information from Bond, and then gets angry at him for not knowing what's going on, but apart from that, a jolly good read.

[zencat]

Can I just say...

Man, I love your sig, Freemo!

Also happy to hear you're a Brokenclaw fan. I went into my files to find my Brokenclaw review and I had only written 3 paragraphs, drat-it! I'm adding it to my list of things to do.

[jwheels]

I thought it was good, not one of his best, but a fun, fast reading, Bond adventure.

[Cesari]

I quite like this book too.
It is one of my favourite Gardner James Bond books.
I love the villain. A strong, good villain, strange and intriguing.
I love the indian elements with the chase at the end. The awfull torture...
But I don't picture Steven Seagal in it.
I would see someone bigger and fatter. But may be the picture I have in mind of Brockenclaw isn't Gardner's description. But it is the one I have since I read the book in 1990.

[deth]

believe it or not, so far I'm liking TMFB..........

[brendan007]

My opinion on this book is the same as most, I found it more enjoyable than Gardner's usual work, but ask me something about the book and I just plain dont remember.
I've often thought of re-reading Garnders book, but I just didnt enjoy most of them enough the first time to bother again.

[The Silver Beast]

I liked this book a lot...even though I wasn't in it.

[Hotshot007]

I just finished reading Brokenclaw for the first time and I'll have to say that I thought it was pretty good. The villian was really cool but I wish Gardner made more use of the villian's twisted hand...it was his namesake after all. Some things I found weird/bad were:
1.The henchman 'Gory' Fox is built up to be a rather sinister character but he is only used once in the book and all he did was sit in a plane.Gardner could have used him more. The character had potential.
2.Wood,Nolan,and General Hang are all disposed of quiet easily, there were lamely arrested.
3.Frozen Stalk Pu is also built up to be very sinister and I thought he would somehow be used in a torture sequence or have an inventive final battle with Bond...instead he is lamely and rather easily disposed of by 2 quick pistol shots.
4.The briefings were WAY too long...practically half the book.
5.The plots were not fleshed out or very well developed.
However I very much liked Commander Edwin Rushia and the O-Kee-Pa ritual...very exciting. Also I must say that I LOVED TMFB.

[Qwerty]

Finally got a UK 1st hardcover delivered.

[Tanger]

I'm reading Brokenclaw at the moment and I'd say it's distinctly below average.

[Qwerty]

What don't you like about it so far Tanger?

[Tanger]

Well, basically it's boring. Which is a shame because I really want to like Gardner. I loved Licence Renewed and For Special Services and really want to like his other books but, like most, it's hard to enjoy them.

[Qwerty]

Fair enough. I've always said it's pick and choose with his middle books. Which books haven't you read by him yet?